Pipeline companies must keep safety records.

• Position: GOVERNANCE

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New U.S. federal guidelines require energy companies to keep up-to-date records to prove they are running the United States' aging pipelines at safe pressures. The guidelines were developed in response to a deadly natural gas explosion in a San Francisco suburb in September 2010.

If pipeline operators can't ensure their oil and gas lines are running at safe pressures by 2013, they may face penalties or other sanctions imposed by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA).

Federal and state officials will be responsible for enforcing the new guidelines. All organizations will be required to keep traceable, verifiable, and complete records about...